世界上最大的3D打印社区即将完工

Like other 3D printers, the Vulcan printer puts down layer by layer of materials to build an object. However, this printer is more than 13.7 meters wide and prints homes for people to live in.
像其他3D打印机一样，Vulcan打印机通过逐层放置材料来构建对象。然而，这台打印机的宽度超过13.7米，专门为人们打印房屋。

This summer, the robotic printer from the homebuilder ICON will complete the last of the 100 3D-printed houses in Wolf Ranch, a community about 48 kilometers from Austin, Texas.
今年夏天，来自房屋建筑商ICON的机器人打印机将在距离德克萨斯州奥斯汀约48公里的Wolf Ranch社区完成100座3D打印房屋中的最后一座。

ICON began printing the walls of what it says is the world's largest 3D-printed community in November 2022.
ICON于2022年11月开始打印它声称是世界上最大的3D打印社区的墙壁。

Compared to traditional homebuilding, the company says 3D printing is faster, less costly, requires fewer workers, and reduces waste.
该公司表示，与传统的房屋建造相比，3D打印速度更快，成本更低，需要的工人更少，并减少了浪费。

Conner Jenkins, a project leader, said, "It brings a lot of efficiency to the trade market... So, when there were maybe five different crews coming in to build a wall system, we now have one crew and one robot."
项目负责人Conner Jenkins说：“它为贸易市场带来了很多效率……因此，以前可能有五个不同的团队来建造墙体系统，而现在我们只需要一个团队和一个机器人。”

After concrete powder, water, sand and other additives are mixed together and put into the printer, a device called a nozzle releases the concrete mixture. The process looks like toothpaste being put onto a toothbrush, as the printer builds up the house layer by layer along an exact path.
在混凝土粉、水、砂和其他添加剂混合在一起并放入打印机后，一种叫做喷嘴的设备会释放混凝土混合物。这个过程看起来就像将牙膏挤到牙刷上，因为打印机会沿着精确的路径一层一层地建造房屋。

The three- to four-bedroom homes take about three weeks to finish printing, with the foundation and metal roofs put in place with traditional building methods.
这些三到四间卧室的房屋大约需要三周的时间才能完成打印，基础和金属屋顶则采用传统的建筑方法安装。

Jenkins said the concrete walls are designed to be resistant to water, mold, insects, and extreme weather.
Jenkins表示，混凝土墙设计成能抵御水、霉菌、昆虫和极端天气。

Lawrence Nourzad, 32, and his girlfriend Angela Hontas, 29, purchased a Wolf Ranch home earlier this summer.
32岁的Lawrence Nourzad和29岁的女友Angela Hontas在今年夏初购买了一个Wolf Ranch的房屋。

"It feels like a fortress," Nourzad said, adding that he was confident the home would hold up to severe weather conditions.
Nourzad说：“感觉就像一个堡垒。” 他补充说，他相信这个房子能够抵御恶劣的天气条件。

The walls also provide strong insulation from the Texas heat, the couple said. The materials keep the inside temperature cool even when the air conditioner is not put on high levels.
这对情侣表示，这些墙也能很好地隔绝德州的高温。即使空调没有调到高档，材料也能保持室内温度凉爽。

There was one other thing the 3D-printed walls seemed to protect against, however: a solid wireless internet connection.
然而，这些3D打印墙似乎还对另一件事情产生了保护作用：强大的无线网络连接。

Nourzad said, "Obviously these are really strong, thick walls. And that's what provides a lot of value for us as homeowners and keeps this thing really well-insulated in a Texas summer, but signal doesn't transfer through these walls very well."
Nourzad说：“显然，这些墙非常坚固和厚实。这为我们这些房主提供了很大的价值，也能在德州的夏天保持良好的隔热效果，但信号并不能很好地穿透这些墙。”

To deal with this issue, an ICON spokeswoman said most Wolf Ranch homeowners use mesh internet routers. These routers broadcast a signal from several units placed throughout a home, whereas a traditional router sends a signal from one device.
为了应对这个问题，一位ICON女发言人表示，大多数Wolf Ranch的房主使用网状网络路由器。这些路由器从家中各个地方的多个设备发出信号，而传统路由器则从一个设备发出信号。

The 3D-printed homes at Wolf Ranch cost from $450,000 to nearly $600,000. Developers said a little more than one quarter of the 100 homes have been sold.
Wolf Ranch的3D打印房屋价格从45万美元到近60万美元不等。开发商表示，100套房屋中已有四分之一多一点被售出。

ICON, which 3D-printed its first home in Austin in 2018, hopes to one day take its technology to the Moon.
ICON公司于2018年在奥斯汀3D打印了第一座房屋，希望有一天能将其技术带到月球上。

NASA, as part of its Artemis Moon exploration program, has an agreement for ICON to develop a system capable of building landing pads, shelters, and other structures on the moon's surface.
作为其阿耳忒弥斯月球探索计划的一部分，NASA已与ICON达成协议，开发能够在月球表面建造着陆平台、避难所和其他结构的系统。